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Pradhan gets his man at the ministry after all

Vol 18, PW 4 (09 Oct 14) People & Policy

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Dharmendra Pradhan has finally succeeded in bringing his father’s one-time loyal aide Upendra Prasad Singh into the ministry as joint secretary exploration. Singh joined the ministry on September 29 after two failed attempts by oil minister Pradhan to bring him in earlier.

His request to appoint Singh as joint secretary exploration was earlier turned down by the PMO, and a previous request to appoint Singh as Pradhan’s personal secretary was also rejected. But now Singh is handling the critical exploration role, vacant since Aramane Giridhar was transferred to Hyderabad in June.

Singh, born on October 10, 1962, also holds additional charge of international cooperation and the politically sensitive and controversial gas pricing remit. He joined the IAS from Orissa in 1985 and was steel ministry joint secretary before moving to the oil ministry.

He is a mechanical engineer from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur. Singh should stay at the oil ministry till April 26, 2016, when he completes five years in Delhi.

Also expected to join the ministry this week as joint secretary is Sandeep Poundrik. “Yesterday Poundrik left his job as secretary urban development,” confirmed a ministry source from Bihar on October 8.

Poundrik is likely to take over international cooperation and gas pricing from Singh. His appointment was confirmed by cabinet on September 23 but he awaits a formal letter from Pradhan, who is busy with Maharashtra state elections. “Pradhan is campaigning for the BJP in Pune,” says a ministry official. “He’s back in Delhi on October 12.” Poundrik previously held dual charges of Bihar energy secretary and CMD of Bihar State Power (Holding) Company. “Poundrik is a young and dynamic officer,” says a colleague in Bihar. “He is close to BJP leaders and also had an excellent relationship with (former Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar.” Some believe Poundrik also has links with oil minister Pradhan who has represented Bihar in India’s upper house since March 2012. Poundrik, 45, joined the IAS in 1993 from Bihar and replaces PK Singh who moved to the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India on September 23.

Poundrik is likely to take over international cooperation and gas pricing from Singh. His appointment was confirmed by cabinet on September 23 but he awaits a formal letter from Pradhan, who is busy with Maharashtra state elections. “Pradhan is campaigning for the BJP in Pune,” says a ministry official. “He’s back in Delhi on October 12.” Poundrik previously held dual charges of Bihar energy secretary and CMD of Bihar State Power (Holding) Company. “Poundrik is a young and dynamic officer,” says a colleague in Bihar. “He is close to BJP leaders and also had an excellent relationship with (former Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar.” Some believe Poundrik also has links with oil minister Pradhan who has represented Bihar in India’s upper house since March 2012. Poundrik, 45, joined the IAS in 1993 from Bihar and replaces PK Singh who moved to the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India on September 23.